The representation of animals in art is as old as art itself,
and depictions of animals are in fact even older and more primordial
than those of human beings. It is no surprise, therefore, that over
the centuries, artists have portrayed animals in a vast array of forms
and styles – the most popular subjects being bulls, horses,
lions, tigers, dogs, cats and doves. Taking as its starting point
works from the Hegewisch Collection, supplemented by the holdings
of the Department of Prints, Drawings and Photography, the exhibition
traces this history of animal imagery with the aid of selected examples.
It includes drawings and prints by Dürer, Baldung Grien, Ridinger,
Tischbein, Delacroix, Degas, Toulouse-Lautrec, Redon, Munch, and of
course Pablo Picasso, in whose art animals and hybrids between humans
and animals played a major role.